Friday, March 31, 2006

Via Yahoo. The Enemy Press AP is reporting that Liberia's former President and accused war criminal, Charles Taylor, is expected to be handed over to an international tribunal and taken to the Hague for trial.

Remember what happened the last time the UN tried someone at the Hague? You're screwed pal!

Thursday, March 30, 2006

I purchased a set of Hogue grips at the recent gun show and put them on the gun. I had definite recoil problems which made my hands hurt. The new grips eliminated that problem. In fact, it definitely improved my aim, although the shots here were all single action. I was shooting .38 Special ammo here. Much easier on my hands than the Magnum loads. I feel much more confident shooting my Model 19 with the new grips. Easier handling, more shooting, better shooting makes this an excellent home defense gun.

I'm just a lousy shot! This is my first attempt to shoot any milsurp. I purchased a box of GP11 surplus at a recent gun show. I paid $24/60. This seems comparable to what I would pay online. I didn't have to pay shipping, but I paid a parking and entrance fee which would probably make it the same price. It depends on the number of packages I want to buy.

Here's my result:

One shot in the black, the rest scattered and 14 complete misses. We didn't have anything to measure distance as we were shooting in the desert, so we marked off 100 paces and set up the target. I purchased a Pachmayr recoil pad, as I had fired a few rounds of my 30-06 Savage at an earlier session and bruised myself. I guess I expected the recoil to be as strong or stronger than the hunting rifle, but I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of pain. Even the next day I felt nothing.

Twelve shots were from offhand standing and twelve were kneeling. Even at approximately 100 yards I had a hard time seeing the bullseye. It was a smallbore target, as that's all I had available at the time, but it's still a 100 yard target. I set the sight at 100 yards and sat the bull on top of the front post. It appears the standing shots were the high, right hits and kneeling were the low, left. I tried to just target the black after a few shots, but no improvement. This really drives home the idea that it takes a lot of time to learn how to shoot accurately. I tried to insure my method didn't change, but I saw nothing to encourage me. My shooting partner that day is ex-Romanian army and he couldn't do much better with the rifle. He did have one bull, but had more complete misses.

I don't care for my results, but I like this rifle very much. As a left-hander, I felt I might have some problems with a bolt, but the straight pull makes it very easy to use lefty. I just reached over and it easily pulled back and pushed forward. I believe that I should probably spend some time with my .22 Henry next time to learn and polish correct rifle shooting techniques. I also think that I should start looking for a .22 handgun for pistol practice. I'm partial to the look and feel of the Buckmark Camper, but a supervisor at work has a Ruger Single Six he might be willing to sell. The large caliber weapons are fun to shoot, but costly. My previous report on my Makarov experience cost me $24 in ammo, and the time spent shooting the .357 cost me $16/100 of .38 Special. $40 for three hours shooting. That wouldn't have even been half a box of .22 ammo at approximately $10. I tend to agree with Kim Du Toit, start with a .22, then move up to bigger calibers.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

I was going to enter Mr Completely's recent e-Postal match with my new Bulgarian Makarov. Unfortunately, I mis-read the rules and took too many shots at the target. Heh, I couldn't have scored it anyway.

This was my first time to shoot a semi-auto. We plinked at soda cans to warm up. I shot at 25 feet and had a poor showing. All shooting was at twenty five feet and offhand standing, as we were shooting in the desert. Thanks to Chris Byrne for having me shoot at that distance. I also learned a lesson about two handed shooting. I started out wrapping both hands around the grip with my thumbs overlapping each other. Wrong position! The hammer found the top thumb very quickly. Luckily for me it didn't really rip away any skin, just drew some blood. I changed my grip and had my weaker hand cupping from the bottom of the magazine.

I cleaned the gun prior to shooting with Outers Tricare. I ran a lightly oiled patch through after cleaning. It was surprisingly easy to field strip. Just pull back the slide and lift and it came off. The barrel is fixed and the spring is easily accessible. I don't have a complete manual so I just squirted the trigger and spring mechanism with Breakfree and wiped with clean patches.

We began shooting with Norinco round nose. That is without a doubt the worst ammo on the market. Considering they are probably the suppliers to the Red Army I feel we have no reason to fear a communist takeover. Every, and I do mean every, magazine had one or two failures to fire. Even after multiple trigger pulls. I believe out of the 100 cartridges I bought, at least 25 ftf. Of course, if Norinco is supplying our troops, then we're in big trouble!

Wolf ammo was much better, although there were a few ftf's. But at least with the Wolf another trigger pull or two and most of those fired. We examined the failed bullets and did notice that some of the firing pin indents were light. Perhaps I need a new spring? We next shot Silver Bear hollowpoints. No failures to fire with those, but we only put two magazine's worth. I did notice that the Norinco was the hardest to put in the magazine, with the Wolf and Silver Bear much easier. Could the springs be worn out or perhaps not lubricated enough?

The recoil was sharp but not unbearable, and it didn't keep me from shooting relatively quickly. I think that slower shooting is the ticket to better aim. The gun shoots low and to the left. The sights are only adjustable on the rear for left to right. I also tried firing with the gun at my side and my arm at a 45 degree angle and actually did better at shooting the cans. I didn't try it shooting at the target.

I purchased this gun to have as a home defense weapon and because I want to familiarize myself with all types of actions. I believe it might be a good idea to have a gunsmith take a look at it and perhaps change out the springs. I'm not confident at this point in my ability to do something like this myself. Maybe later. The Mak is easier to control than my S&W .357 shooting double action and I would like to get my wife to learn to use it, but I doubt that'll happen. She's not afraid of guns, her father was ex-Philippine army and had guns around the house, she's just bought into the "911 will take care of it" mantra. Anyway, I like the way this gun handles and I'm satisfied with my ability to use it, especially when I've had more practice. No one can complain about more shooting can they? Now all I need is more ammo!

I should have known better. But the desire to shoot the Mak took control. I had one source of 9x18 Makarov open on Sunday. I went to the shop and asked for cheap outdoor plinking ammo. The owner brought out the Norinco. He had Remington, but I figured it'd be too expensive for what I wanted.$8/50 and I bought two boxes. That's $1 more than the Wolf ammo I got at the gun show and the same price as the Silver Bear hollow points!

Well, ya gets what ya pays for! Darn it! The only good thing to come out of China is women and food!

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Thursday, March 23, 2006

A Bulgarian Makarov. I found this one at last weekend's gun show. The seller wanted $209, I passed on it until I had a chance to check out the rest of the floor. There were quite a few NIB Glocks and other .45s on the display tables. They attracted the usual types who are drawn to those guns. In fact, there was one that had gold accents on it. Guess who crowded around that...?

After reading about quite a few different pistols, I settled on the Makarov. First because of their reputation for reliability and second because of the low prices. I also like the idea of fewer parts. I'm no expert, but field stripping this gun was rather easy. I don't believe I'm anywhere near knowledgeable about guns to attempt detail stripping. Another good point in favor of the Mak. The ammo seems relatively available so I'm not worried about supply. The gun came with what appears to be the standard kit. The original red star grip, a black plastic replacement grip - I hoped it was rubber - , two magazines and a cleaning tool. There wasn't a manual, but it was easily found online.

My Mak was imported by Century Arms. It has an import stamp for the company, but it hasn't been reserialized. According to Makarov.com, my gun was assembled in 1982. At least I know it's not too old. There is some muzzle wear, but I attribute that to holster wear. I found a scratch where the safety moves, but no other damage. No scratches on the slide or any other marks. It appears that someone has ground and polished the feed ramp.

I found the gun after about a half hour at the show. The seller had another one, but it wasn't a Mak. It makes me wonder if he didn't know anything about the Maks or thought maybe I didn't and hoped I'd buy it. It was a Hungarian FEG.

I waited until the seller packed up to leave and tried to talk him down to $175. He counteroffered $200 so I took it. Perhaps $15 or $20 more than it might be worth, but as I have no plans to sell it, I wasn't concerned.

Here's the fun part. I went over to the paperwork area, filled out the NICS and waited. By that time it was nearly 5 o'clock. It was finally my turn and the girl helping me slid my paperwork over to the person calling in the checks. She quickly had my check done right before the line closed for the day! I was the last one cleared and because I have a Blue Card, I didn't have to wait to pick it up. Diane Feinstein cried that night. I walked out with my purchase and there was nothing the gun grabbers could do about it.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

This weekend's show was actually the second I've been to, but at the first one I manned a booth for a candidate and really didn't get much time to look around. I suppose they really shouldn't call it a gun show anymore as only about a third of the vendors there were selling guns. It wasn't really a beef jerky show either, only two vendors for that. There were people selling accessories and spare parts, knives, massages, toys, safes, chairs, targets, ammo, clothing, and militaria.

It was a gun-grabbers nightmare! People walking around openly carrying firearms - some of them were even minorities! Full auto rifles on display and even for sale! Evil black assault rifles lined up as if they had tickets to meet and terrorize Diane Feinstein. Massive .50 caliber rifles were available to the free citizens of Parts Unknown. And at the back, a desk for NICS checks manned by the helpful staff of a local business, all willingly spending time helping people buy guns.

Many different makes and models were available. Of course the urban types were all after glocks while they ignored everything else. One thing that surprised me was the number of ARs available. One seller had three tables of them in many different incarnations. Many people say that's the rifle to get, but they leave me strangely cold.

I warmed up as I spied a very large display of vintage GI rifles. Now there's something to get the blood going! Rifles galore! So well restored, in fact, beautifully so. They almost looked new. Garands of all manufactures, 1903s, 1917s, and Carbines. One small problem. Yards of yellow Do Not Touch tape blocking access to these works of art. I could peer closely, but my hands couldn't hold them. After a few minutes, someone came over to see what I was doing. I asked her the price of these and she said the cheapest ones were $1700! The Garands started at $2000! Now I know it probably took quite a bit of work to make these rifles look like new, but those prices were way out of my league. Thank goodness for the CMP.

Sadly, I had to leave heaven and return to earth. It was getting late and I had some ammo to buy. My Swiss K31 hasn't had anything to eat since I brought it home. It appears that no one in my area carries the 7.5mm Swiss ammo. I could buy it online, but I decided to check out the show prices first. The price was similar to what's online, but I avoid shipping. I bought a brick of Swiss surplus and will give it a try soon. I also purchased a set of Hogue grips for the Smith. After I returned home I noticed that the package contained no hardware for attaching it to the frame. Fortunately, a call to Hogue solved that problem. They're sending the stuff to me at no charge. The rep said this happens quite often. Does it mean people are taking out the hardware before selling the grips?

One more trip around the floor and then to a little Bulgarian I handled earlier in the day. The dealer wanted over $200, but I noticed some scratches and quite a bit of wear at the muzzle. Still, it had a replacement grip and the original red star grip, the cleaning rod and two magazines. Apparently all Bulgarian Maks come with them. I had declined earlier and looked around for others at various tables. I did find one at another vendor and he wanted $250. There was a similar gun next to it, but it turned out to be a CZ50. Nice looking gun, but I wasn't sure I wanted a .32 caliber gun. The price was $180.

Near the end of the day I wandered back to the Bulgarian as the seller was just starting to pack up. I took a second look at it. There was a scratch where the safety rubs on the slide and I wondered it that meant there was a possibility that the safety could move too far and cause a accidental discharge. I had read that bad safeties had allow such events to happen. As time was running out I had to decide, get it or let it go. Once 5pm comes the place shuts its doors and all background checks stop.

All in all a good experience. I think I'll have to visit a few more, but probably only to buy ammo. I did find the entrance fee a bit steep at $12 plus $3 parking, but I found things I needed and things I wanted and the prices were comparable to shops and online vendors. Don't go expecting to buy anything, but if the deal's good, why not?

I recently purchased a new cell phone for Sexy Girl. The kind with the camera in it. It made me think about getting a new line at the house. I'd like to be able to choose my own number, one that'd be rather easy to remember.

Monday, March 20, 2006

An ancient tomb dating to 2500 BC was recently unearthed on Cyprus, according to the AP. "The tomb was found in an area containing several ancient cemeteries which belonged to the nearby town of Palaepaphos, 11 miles inland from modern Paphos. First settled around 2800 B.C., Palaepaphos was the site of a temple of Aphrodite — the ancient goddess of beauty who, according to mythology, was born in the sea off Paphos."

Construction workers stumbled onto the sarcophagus, which contains wall paintings experts concluded were scenes from Homer. The classicists have indicated their belief that the tomb was for a warrior. No doubt that's true as very few peasant types had the wherewithal to create such elaborate burial places.

The story says that this is only the third example of this type tomb ever found on Cyprus. Of the other two, "One is housed in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and the other in the British Museum in London...." However, Donald Rumsfeld couldn't be blamed for the looting of these artifacts.

Enemy Press Network ABC reports on the upsurge in women buying and shooting guns. The headline shows their anti-gun bias. "Women Getting Trigger Happy." What exactly are readers supposed to envision when they read such a headline? Women learning to shoot and control a weapon to protect themselves and others, or jittery, emotional females spraying rounds uncontrollably when something scares them?

That is, of course, a tactic the anti-gun groups employ to discourage gun use and ownership. Emotions overcoming the gun owner and death being the result. Training in the proper use of firearms minimizes such things. "'If you look at statistics, there are more crimes of passion committed by men than there are women,' said Sandra Froman, president of National Rifle Association. 'But I say that everyone has their emotions, and one of the things you learn when you take firearms classes is you learn to control your emotions.'" Because women are very often a target of violence from men who are bigger and stronger, it's not illegal, immoral, or unethical for women to use guns to protect themselves. "'I am a short, chubby housewife,' said Jaque Blundell of Arlington, Va. 'I'm not as scared of the bad guys, because the guns are my great equalizer.'" The motives of anyone who would say otherwise should be considered suspect.

"But not everyone is convinced encouraging women to carry a gun is a good idea. According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, it's at least 20 times more likely that you'll use your weapon to shoot someone in your home rather than using it to protect yourself from an intruder. 'If you bring a gun into the home, it increases the risk of homicide by three,' said Becca Knox of the Brady Campaign. 'If you decide that's the method of self defense you're going to choose, you better be prepared to deal with the consequences.'" This claim isn't supported by any evidence in the story. Why? Are these figures by the "Brady Disarmament Campaign" valid? As usual for the Enemy Press, these claims are presented without any corroboration, the public is expected to take these words as the truth.

The fact of the matter is that groups such as the Brady Campaign are suspect. Their aim isn't to prevent violence, but to disarm the people. Only those who engage in criminal activity and politics are in danger when a populace is armed. Perhaps that's why they want to take away guns....

News out of Ohio could be the proof the world has been waiting for about who really killed President Kennedy! According to NewsNet5.com, a domestic disturbance was broken up at an apartment complex last week.

It seems the landlord heard a fight between a resident and her ex-boyfriend. He proceeded to fire a "warning shot" which police reported hit both the victim and suspect. Now, the story doesn't indicate whether the bullet went around any corners or stopped and backed up and started up again to strike both people, but it seems any bullet like this must have been fired by an excellent marksman.

The world may doubt the conclusions, as many important people have staked their reputations on the so-called "Oswald acted alone" theory, but we may have just identified the real gunman in that tragic incident from over thirty years ago.

Just a little note to the landlord, a "warning shot" is actually composed of three shots, two to the chest and one to the head....

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Enemy Press - Junior Division - USA Today posted an editorial concerning the so-called "Sunshine Week" created by journalists to lie about government statistics and press releases. Philip Meyer, a professor of Institutional Lying, or Journalism, at the University of North Carolina proudly reports on the efforts to uncover what they deem the truth from the government. "This is Sunshine Week, a worthy effort by journalists to generate public support for removing barriers to government information. But government secrecy is not the only obstacle to the public's right to know. There is also what I like to call the Will Rogers problem...'It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble. It's what we know that ain't so.'"

Oh, how precious! Well, Professore, the real problem isn't government secrecy, it's the lies put out by the Enemy Press that is harmful to the public. Now all you leftist haters out there let go of yourselves for a minute and get hold of your tongues and read. Governments aren't perfect and there are indeed people inside it who intentionally try to deceive the public for personal of political gain. Only a fool would deny it. However, if you would continue to read the words of the Professor you will see he's only posting about and celebrating "Sunshine Week" to attack President Bush. Though, of course, you won't.

Now, he does make some points about information overload and how it can lead to confusion and lack of clarity in understanding messages. "Herbert Simon, a Nobel laureate in economics, saw the problem as far back as 1969. Information, he said, consumes the attention of those who receive it. Therefore, 'a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.' That shortage leads the attention industries - which include journalism, entertainment, public relations and advertising - to do wilder and stranger things. It's why 'Reality TV' was invented. It is a cheap way to get your attention." Then the lies begin.

"Making the truth compelling is important, but liars can use these tools, too, and there's the problem. When the second Iraq war was launched three years ago this month, a majority of Americans believed something that wasn't so: that Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He wasn't. Nor was Iraq found to have weapons of mass destruction, which was the Bush administration's main justification for the war." Stop the presses! Here again we see what he means. President Bush lied! Well, sorry, Perfesser, you are the one lying. Never did the President or Administration claim Saddam was personally involved in 911 and you know it. You are lying here, the falsehoods are yours and yours alone. WMDs were never the "main justification for the war" either. Again, lies by you, not the President! The enemy isn't the government here, it is You!!

Meyer continues and claims that poor old journalists are easily deceived by lies from government officials. "Traditional journalism has poor defenses against lying by government or other powerful institutions. Its code of giving 'both sides' and leaving it to the reader to choose caused a long delay in the public's acceptance of the 1964 surgeon general's report on smoking and health. To help the public sort things out from the information surplus requires greater journalistic skill than just telling both sides. The reporter has to understand the issues well enough to help the reader choose." Ah, here again he exposes himself for what he and modern New York Times style journalism is about. Don't present both sides, that's old fashioned. Journalists have to tell you what to believe. They must determine the truth, you aren't allowed to hear all sides and come to your own conclusions lest you choose to believe the "wrong" side.

The good professor tries to end with an image of he and his ilk as heroes battling evil, but he just shows what the problem really is. "The battle against government secrecy must continue. But journalists also need to develop skills to deal with situations in which government and other power centers lead us to believe things 'that ain't so.'" The skills they want to develop are those such as making up stories like the thoroughly discredited Rather memos, continuing to lie about the WMDs in Iraq as the main justification for going in, and refusing to cover events in Iraq and Afghanistan that show America is succeeding in bringing democracy to these formerly benighted areas. No, sadly, it's very clear people like Professor Meyer have an agenda. Not to uncover the truth, but to obscure it. Not to bring facts to light, but to cloud the minds of citizens with their Bush hatred. Not to serve the public, but to serve the cause of our enemies. It's time for these purveyors of lies to be called out for it. The Press has transformed from those who report the news to those who create the news they want you to see and hear. Fortunately for Truth, Freedom, and America, the internet is there to uncover their lies and tactics.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Of my poor shooting. Well, here's one target from this weekend. Follow the link to the rest.

I had a day free to go into the desert and blast away. I took my shotgun, Henry, and my new Smith & Wesson. You have to remember that the desert doesn't have motorized target holders, so I had to find an appropriate place to set up a backstop at fifty yards. Unfortunately for me, my little ball of twine and markers decided to become not a ball, but a tangle. Needless to say I spent a few minutes attempting to untangle it. I gave up and paced off the yardage instead as I concluded I came out to shoot, not play with string.

Soda cans make great reactive targets. I tried to buy one of the auto-reset metal targets at Wal-Mart, but no soap. That's an irritant with me because I have seen them before. I tried three different Wal-Marts and found nothing. It seems to me that Wal-Mart is quietly removing all the shooting accessories from their stores. Even the one's that do sell guns.

First up was the shotgun. We set up soda cans from 25 to 50 yards and let fly with the birdshot. Cans were blowing up all over the place. I can see why birdshot isn't the best load for home defense. Hits made pleasing displays, but after checking out the can, the pattern was very spread and the holes were small, and that was at 25 yards. A bloody mess it might make of an intruder, but would it put one down? Probably not. Next time I'll buy some buckshot and give those a try.

Dad had a go with the Henry. He hasn't shot a gun in over fifty years. We used more soda cans and shot almost a brick of .22 Winchester. We had three duds through the first half of the box. I spent some time shooting the rifle and didn't do too badly on the cans, then I set up the target. The target, as seen above, was used for two full magazines of fifteen each from the Henry. At least all of them were on the paper this time. There are a few stray .38 Special holes because the next target was taped over this one. At least I grouped the shots a little better this time compared to the last.

It was time to bring out my newest acquisition. I taped up two targets for the .357 Magnum. This was the first time I've ever shot a handgun...and boy does it show! I couldn't hit the paper for crap! I loaded it with .38 Special Winchester target fmj. I used a two handed grip. Out of twelve rounds I only hit paper six times. Two in the eight ring and one in the five. The other three outside the target. Embarrassing. The next target was a little better. Nine out of twelve on the paper. One in the nine ring, one in the seven, two in the six, and two in the five. The other three outside the target.

The magnum loads were the worst of all. The first magnum target had only five hits on the paper out of twelve shots. None of them were in the rings. On the second target I whiffed completely on the first cylinder. Not a one on the paper. I reloaded and moved up to 10 yards. I had three hits on paper, one in the six, one in the five and a third outside the target on the paper.

A seriously poor performance. The gun has an adjustable rear sight. As soon as I can get to a real gun range I can adjust them, or just keep at it in the desert myself.

Of course I can go the Democrat route and blame everything else but myself. Yeah, the gun shoots wrong. The target kept moving. The bullets wouldn't work right. It was too windy. Something kept getting in my eyes. It was Rove's doing!

The deranged Dem claimed, "'America had a great victory this week in the war on terror,' Dean said in the radio address. 'Key Democratic senators and representatives forced President Bush to give up the idea that six major American ports should be run by a foreign country. Republicans in Congress followed the Democrats' lead to demand the president change the policy.'" Sorry. Fox News exposed Dean's lies. "A senior Frist aide told FOX News that the Senate majority leader and his staff informed DP World and UAE government officials Wednesday night to pull the plug on the deal. When asked what prompted this action from Frist, the aide said the House action Wednesday night created a 'destabilized coalition among House and Senate GOP.' Just one night before, GOP-led House Appropriations Committee passed a bill blocking the deal." See that Chairman Dean? Look closely. The GOP stopped the sale, not you or the Democrats. You may have opposed it, but as the minority party, you would not have enough votes to block anything! Yes again Dean and the Democrats were caught in a lie.

On one hand Dean and some Dems opposed the ports deal and claimed it would make America vulnerable in a time of war. That's a point that should be debated, however, their recent actions show that they may only have opposed it because President Bush was for it. But you then see them moan and complain that President Bush is spying on the poor little terrorists and the friends in America.

You can't be on both sides at the same time. In their lust to rule, the Democrat party will do or say anything to get their hands on the levers of power. Those who support America will need to work hard to keep the truth about the Dems actions in the public's mind. The America Haters will have the Enemy Press on their side, the America Lovers have the truth. Truth can sometimes be obscured by false and misleading stories. It's our duty to continue to speak the truth and call the enemy on their lies.

Senator Russ Feingold, a freedom hating Democrat - what else? - from Wisconsin has proposed that the Senate censure President Bush over the surveillance of terrorists who have contacted their operatives in the US, according to the Enemy Press AP.

The Senator, who joined with Senator John McCain to muzzle American's free speech rights, is aiming for the White House. The extremist Democrat states that, "'The president has broken the law and, in some way, he must be held accountable,' Sen. Russ Feingold D-Wis., told The Associated Press in an interview." Only thing is Senator, your accusations aren't proof. In the Democrat's desire to destroy President Bush, they are weakening America. However, from their actions, it's obvious the Dems don't care. They would rather see us be defeated in the GWOT than President Bush succeed.

Our enemies must be delighted with the work the out of touch, extremist Democrats are doing for them. The President authorized wiretaps on conversations between terrorists and their allies in America, but why should that make anyone mad? Because their allies are in the US? So what? Our enemy is everywhere, in the mid-east, in Europe, in Asia, and even in places like Massachusetts and Wisconsin. It's bizarre that our own representatives in Congress are more concerned about the rights of murderers that the rights of Americans to remain free.

The Enemy Press AP reports more of the usual stupidity out of the oppressed city of Chicago. It seems that the poobahs of education in that benighted burg have ordered that all students take a drivers education course to graduate from the city's schools.

Of course, blind students don't need it, but apparently are taking it anyway. "'It defies logic to require blind students to take this course,' Meta Minton, spokeswoman for the state Board of Education, told the Chicago Tribune in a Friday story." But don't let something like that stop you Chicago. Well, in reality, students do have a way out, but it's not really publicized. Chicago schools spokesman Michael Vaughn "said parents of disabled students can, by law, request a change in their child's individual education plan, which could include a driver's ed exemption. But teachers and students said that is a little-known option, and that they have been told driver's ed is required to graduate."

Does anyone in government there have any sense? Probably not, or in fact, what they care about is complete control no matter how ridiculous a law may be. Witness their anti-gun laws.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

The Enemy Press AP reports that Slobodan Milosevic, who has been charged with war crimes and genocide, was found dead in his UN controlled prison. Recently one of the witnesses also died in the UN controlled prison.

One death has been ruled natural causes, while the UN claims the other was a suicide. Considering the open criminality of various UN mandated actions, and the blatant corruption that leads to the secretariat itself, it isn't beyond the realm of possibility that the UN itself is complicit in these deaths.

If President Bush is guilty of all manner of gross crimes, then surely the UN can't escape scrutiny here. The UN and the International Criminal Court have been played like violins for the past few years by the obviously guilty Milosevic. Perhaps someone has become tired of the games and decided to end the matter once and for all?

Does this sound foolish and conspiracy nut to you? Well, all this and more has been aimed at America and President Bush. Yet no one will utter the above words except in jest.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Enemy Press Agency Reuters ran a story today concerning efforts by the Fifth Columnists at the ACLU and the Center For Constitutional Rights to demand that the courts terminate the lawful intercepts of messages and phone calls between terrorists and their operatives in America. These groups, along with many traitorous Democrats, have tried every tactic they can think of to endanger America under the guise of protecting civil rights.

The terrorist sympathizers moaned about the "Bush administration's controversial program of domestic eavesdropping, saying it violated the privacy and free speech rights of U.S. citizens." O great and honorable protectors, please show us in the Constitution where anyone has any right to commit crimes. That's right, the right to commit crimes isn't in there. Horrified that their allies might be caught and punished, these heroes hurriedly filed suit because of "indications that Republican senators were working with the White House to draft a law that would allow eavesdropping on some communications to and from the United States without a warrant."

What?! You mean Congress can make laws allowing the President to protect America? These friends of thugs and murderers are shrieking that the ability to do what the President is already lawfully doing, under his mandate to prosecute the war, might be enshrined in a specific law. All the anti-spying hysteria post Watergate caused the intelligence problems we're having today. Immediately after 911 all those laws should have been repealed. The fact that these laws might be changed now is indicative of a very lackadaisical attitude by Congress.

Unfortunately, it's likely that some freedom hating judge somewhere will probably rule for the enemy instead of America. We can never be defeated in this struggle from without. The islamist and leftist hatred has no power to defeat us. No, the seeds of defeat for this country have always been sown from within. Time after time we must continue to hammer the point home. This war isn't just for our lives, it's for our civilization and our freedom. Those who pretend to fight for it need to be beaten in no uncertain terms. The surveillance of those who mean us harm must be continued no matter where it originates.

The Short Pants Newspaper USA Today ran a story on fuel consumption by the military. Apparently the costs of gas is starting to have an effect on military operations.

The member of the junior press lists a few of the "gas guzzlers" in use today and explains that a Pentagon advisory board believes something should be done about the wasteful assets. The next thing you know, these advisors will recommend that the armed forces go to solar powered vehicles and helium balloons instead of gas and diesel tanks and jet powered planes.

To be sure, the price of fuel is rising, but does anyone think that the army fills up at the corner qwiki mart? Perhaps a quartermaster could answer the question. Someone with military experience might be able to say where military fuel comes from and if it's paid for at the going street rate. I wouldn't think so.

The main point is, would changing to more fuel efficient power sources save money, or cost more in the long run? Would the army be forced to use less powerful engines in their tanks? Would armor be reduced to increase mileage? How much more vulnerable would the troops be if they couldn't drive as fast, go as far and be as protected as they are with the current engines? During wartime should this even be a priority? Let's not get off track with winning the war and bog down on questions of can we do it "greener." The troops deserve it.

The Enemy Press BBC reports that Iraq executed 13 terrorists. The tone was surprisingly evenhanded from this anti-freedom news bureau. "The Iraqi authorities have hanged 13 people accused of taking part in the insurgency, the first execution of militants since the US-led invasion." Of course, it's not all that evenhanded as they say the terrorists were "accused of taking part in the insurgency." I guess that's the best we can expect from them.

As the free Iraqi government didn't give the names of the terrorists, except for one, we are supposed to assume that they were just suspected of taking part. No proof of course. They were probably just hanging around insurgent activities areas holding guns and stuff.

The bright side of this execution is the possibility that showing stern resolve in punishing those who perpetrate terrorist acts will see a lessening of the attacks on civilians. Swift and sure justice might turn the tide against random bombings. US Government, please take note.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Here it is. Found hiding in the back of a display case in the far reaches of a gun shop. I originally went looking for a Taurus 65 and indeed found them there, but they were all stainless. Now don't get me wrong, I know the advantages of a stainless finish, yet the gun's purpose isn't to be flashy. In fact, the less it's seen the better. This tool is just that, a tool. A tool of self-protection.

Funny thing about the fabled .357 is its general use of the .38 Special ammo. According to this site this model is really a .38 that shoots .357 loads. Although the purchase price of $299 is something that appears to be in the market range for stainless, from what info I could find, I have no plans to sell it for something else anyway. Purchase price will amortize over the life of the gun.

As the photos show, there are some small scratches on the bluing and a wear mark where the rear of the cylinder rubs. I assume that's normal wear. The barrel seems only lightly used, the groove is clear and strongly visible. I purchased a brick of Winchester Target and Range 130 grain in .38 Special $16/100 for practice and a box of Federal 158 grain at $18/50 for business. Pricy, but I don't expect to use it often. Never in anger I hope.

Monday, March 06, 2006

And I've got a freshly minted handgun registration in my pocket. How many times does someone buy a gun and have a crime happen nearly the same day?

Here's the story. I'm walking into a grocery store with Sexy Girl while Honey Girl is in my arms. A youngish looking guy quickly walks by with a large bottle of Vodka. Right behind him is a store employee demanding that he stop and explain where the bottle came from. "From the liquor section," the guy says. The store employee then tells him to stop as he's apparently stolen it. The guy hesitates and the employee lunges at him. He grabs the apparent thief and a struggle ensues. The bottle crashes to the ground and the thief gets free. Another employee joins the chase and the guy runs to a pickup truck and they try to take off. The truck is blocked by a passing car but eventually drives off. It appears the employees write down the license plate and return to the store.

I watch the whole thing and think: I now have a handgun permit, not concealed, but Parts Unknown allows open carry. Had I been carrying, what would my actions have been? Would I just have stood aside as I had done? With wife and kid in tow, no doubt that would be the result. What if I was alone at the time? Who knows. It may have been a felony, but it was just a bottle of liquor, nonetheless. And merely Skyy, now if it was Grey Goose... lethal force may have been in order.

Seriously, everyone who carries has these thoughts I suppose. Because I purchased my handgun for home defense, I don't really expect to carry in public. I have made the decision for my own house, but what if someone is attacked when I have my gun? Could I in good conscience do nothing? I don't see how. Still, when is it better to be a witness instead of a potential victim if I involved myself in a dangerous situation? Stumbling into a situation not knowing what really transpired could make my judgment suspect. I have no desire to use force on the wrong person. Many potential heroes have done themselves no good by intervening. I believe that unless the incident is violent with the potential for bodily harm, the best thing to do would be to be a good witness. Murder, rape, armed robbery or threats of physical violence are different. I would have to assess the situation before acting. I believe I have already made a commitment to helping others in need by buying guns. I hope never to be put into the position of deciding whether I can act on this.

According to the Enemy Press AP, the Supreme Court ruled that colleges and universities that accept federal funds are required to allow military recruiting. New Chief Justice Roberts wrote the opinion which had no concurring or dissenting opinions. All the justices agreed, except for Justice Alito, who didn't hear the case.

A smashing victory for the troops at a time of war! All the useless enemy lovers in academia will be forced to allow a recruiter on campus. Imagine how vicious and violent the reaction could be if the enemy sympathizers actually had the guts to do something about it. Ultimately they are cowards however, and not much will happen unless some anonymous hater pies or eggs our fine military men and women. That's about their speed.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Monday marks the 35th anniversary of the storming of Caesars Palace by a group of welfare mothers who were angry about their plight. According to the Provo Daily Herald, "In 1971, a group of black welfare mothers burst into Caesars Palace, strode past replicas of Roman statuary and toga-wearing waitresses, and shut the casino down." All well and good, however, what were they protesting? "The state was the last in the nation to implement the food stamp program, and one of the last to set up nutritional programs and free medical screening for children.... Like many states during the early 1970s, the height of the "war on welfare," Nevada cut aid to the poor."

Heartless as some quaking liberals (commies) will yelp the following statement is, we must ask: what right do people on welfare, or anyone for that matter, have to demand money from the public treasury to provide a living or take care of them? Answer: none. CNN had a story on these women this morning. They all looked self satisfied and smug. The women on the program were on welfare at the time of the action. How many of them are still on welfare? Unfortunately, we'll probably never know. They were portrayed as heroines, and of a sort they were. Many blacks were shamefully treated in Nevada during the mid part of the century. They were denied their legal rights and segregated as they were in many other places across the country.

Does this excuse extortion? No. Many people now believe they are owed a living by society. They refuse to work and are unable to care for themselves? How else to explain the numbing inactivity by those who were unable to rouse themselves to leave New Orleans prior to and during the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Their fate wasn't President Bush's fault. They have become accustomed to handouts and gifts. Panis et circenses. Today we see many who have still done nothing for themselves over six months after the storm. Lawsuits have been filed to force continued government support.

Whether this milestone will be trumpeted elsewhere remains to be seen on Monday. Unfortunately actions such as these may help people in the short run, but continued reliance on others to provide for you will eventually breed resentment which could lead to taxpayers to be less hospitable to helping the less fortunate among us.

Headline reads "Report: Gay Prevention Programs Harm Teens." The misleading Enemy Press AP tries its darnedest to make a so-called report a work of science. The "report," which is never identified by title, apparently claims that "some Christian-based gay prevention and treatment groups have used the First Amendment protection of religion to avoid sanctions by state health officials seeking to enforce regulations on counselors who offer therapy without a license."

Nowhere in the propaganda piece is any scientific methodology presented by the author of the "report," who - surprise - is The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute. Well, it appears we must take their pronouncements at their word. No questions allowed. Of course the "report" has two thrusts (hee hee). The first is of course to always paint homosexual activity as normal and as good as heterosexual activity. America is warned that to deny the freedom to engage in any sexual behavior is hateful and bigoted, no matter what the motivation. Also hateful and bigoted activities to denigrate "anti-gay rights" people are acceptable. The second is to demand that people stop turning potential recruits back to heterosexuals. They claim in such bogus reports as this that the methods are evil and are damaging to the psyches of newly awakened gays. Of course who are the objects of this report? Why, Christians!

Christianity and Christians are the greatest danger to the Gay Agenda. Why? Can't Buddhists and agnostics and atheists be against the gay agenda too? Of course, but the one thing Christians have that no other group has is the Word. And the Word condemns homosexual activity. This they cannot abide. All they identify with is their sexual appetite and activity and the Supreme Being demands they refrain. They refuse and therefore must attack those who present the truth about their lifestyle. Witness Canada and their "hate speech" laws which forbid any condemnation of homosexual activity.

There will be plenty of apologists for the gay agenda who will demand proofs that this is what the gay agenda seeks. They have been answered before with information which contains links to proofs. Proofs they will continue to deny. As with those who demand President Bush admit mistakes, which he has by the way, they will never be satisfied until their opponents are utterly defeated. It's a sickness. A sickness that must obliterate all opposition because the existence of the truth will never allow them to be satisfied until good is evil and evil is good.

Friday, March 03, 2006

Vacations. Wonderful, marvelous things. Make you feel rested. They let the brain relax. Gives you a chance to think about other things. Daily life is changed. Family is the focus. Forget about the world. Out of touch with the news. That's the problem.

You see, I'm basically a political person. I believe that the person who has no interest in politics is worse than those who don't agree with my positions. An Idiot. The Greeks consider someone uninterested in politics an idiot. The Greek meaning isn't stupid, or mentally deficient, idiot means uninterested in politics.

I wanted this blog to be political and shooting related. My schedule and little girl make me late to the party on most subjects. By the time I post about something, all the other websites' comment threads have gone dead. I'm honestly to the point where I feel it really doesn't make sense to post about stories covered elsewhere. If I was interested in local happenings and post about that, no one would care. If I don't care about the goings on in other places, why should my readers be concerned with my local or state politics? I did post twice about somethingimportant in my area and no one ever commented on them. No interest. It's only local, who in Ohio, or Florida wants to read it?

Then the question, Whither Ah, Shoot!?

To be clear, I've had good comments and commenters and a relative paucity of trollish comments. I have no complaints. I'm just not sure where to take this blog. Remain as it is and comment on what I see fit, or become exclusively gun related? The blog name seems to fit a gun related blog, but then again, it also fits if I take aim at targets I choose.

I know my posting has evolved since the beginning. I used to type posts as I thought of them. I didn't get that much of a response I thought, so I began to semi-Fisk articles and use technorati tags to try to build a readership. Unfortunately for my ego, it seems the stories I put a lot of time into were ignored. It's deflating to work for two hours on a post and never get a comment on it. I'm sure it happens to others too, but still.... I then tried shorter pieces, it seemed to work, then comments dropped off again. I spent some time commenting on other blogs and trying to add to my blogroll and it raised my ttlb ratings, but now, as of this morning, I'm down to twelve links. It appears some people have delinked me, or updated their blogrolls and left me off. Some people say it doesn't matter, but really it does. It would be a lie to say otherwise. I want to be heard the same as others who write. I don't delude myself into thinking I'm some great pundit who is being unjustly ignored by Acidman's "tall dogs." I want links to Insty and Michelle Malkin...well I want to link to Michelle...er, sorry dear, I don't really mean that...ouch! Please put away the frying pan! I believe I have at least some ability to write coherently, I'm not a great wordsmith by any means, but I'm not a hack either. It does hurt to see other, poorly written blogs ranked higher than mine. I know part of it is the subject matter. Being pro-gun isn't that easy. Also, I'm new to gun ownership. Kim Du Toit and the people who inhabit The Other Side Of Kim are leagues above me in knowledge and experience. I don't have much to add to any conversation about guns.

Of course, the most successful blogs are written by those who blog their specific field of knowledge. Instapundit, Eugene Volokh, and Hugh Hewitt. My field of work is of no importance. It doesn't affect anyone in any way outside of those who patronize the business. I've kept this blog relatively anonymous, although it should be apparent where the blog originates. I have to do this because the company demands you not bring any ill repute to it by associating it with your outside activities. That does violate my rights, but I have to accept it to keep working. Ask Kim Du Toit about that.

Whither Ah, Shoot!?

I don't know. Perhaps my remaining readers will give me a clue. I know to love writing you have to write about your interests, not others', but what use is it to write if you have no readers? Sure, skills are built that may help gain a readership later, but if no one reads you now, will you stick at it until someone reads you? And for how long? One month? Six months? A year...two? Hell, even Den Beste took time off. I'm tired of it sometimes. Checking out Little Green Footballs depresses me. How can people be so blind or cowardly? Sometimes I feel like writing but after reading my usual reads, I change my mind. What's the use of opining when there are those who won't listen, and people like History's Greatest Monster who seem to be on the other side. And my president won't do anything about him!

It makes me angry, and I really don't want to be angry. It's no secret this blog holds to conservative views. We are bombarded daily with Dean's screams, Jesse's jackassery, Al's Sharper than a serpent's tooth remarks and the political she Janus' shenanigans. The so-called mainstream media aids and abets this. They promote the sorry sight of the seahag at the President's ranch as if she's some kind of heroine. A major network airs a story concocted with fake documents and the anchor continues to deny their falsity. They skew polling data to get an outcome they like, they coddle Saddam and cover his atrocities for "access," they try to blame every bad thing on the president. That's why this blog refers to them as the Enemy Press. The Islamist enemy has a useful ally in the western media. And I don't like it. Either be fair, or announce your biases and be a party mouthpiece!

Made a purchase yesterday...you'll just have to wait to find out what. I can't get it for 72 hours. The state's afraid I bought it to shoot someone. You see, they don't like people being shot with handguns. Apparently they're OK with shooting someone with a rifle or shotgun though, as there's no waiting period for those. Imagine the mayhem resulting from a goblin using a long gun. Whew! Good thing people are only killed by handguns!

About Me

This site's comment policy:
As I believe in the Constitution and freedom, commenters are allowed to post regardless of their political or social views. Even Europeans!
Keep your comments on topic.
That doesn't mean that any silly comments without some idea of backup won't be moderated to make the poster look foolish.
ScottG